Systems, methods, and media for managing a travel itinerary

ABSTRACT

Systems, methods and media for managing a travel itinerary of a user are disclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software for managing the user&#39;s travel itinerary based on the location of the user are disclosed. Embodiments may include receiving user location information and estimating the arrival time of the user at the departure point for a scheduled first trip of the user based on the user location information. Embodiments may also include comparing the estimated arrival time of the user at the destination with a departure time for the scheduled first trip and, if the arrival time is substantially earlier than the departure time or equal to or later than the departure time, rescheduling by the travel itinerary computer the user for a different second trip. Further embodiments may include transmitting notification to the user that he has been rescheduled to a second trip.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of computer systems. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to systems, methods andmedia for managing a travel itinerary, particularly for managing thetravel itinerary based on the location of a user with a wireless device.

BACKGROUND

As air travel and other types of travel have become ubiquitous, thecomplexity of travel arrangements has dramatically increased. Travelschedules have become increasingly confusing because of complicatedconnections, hub-and-spoke travel systems, flight changes, and weatherdelays. Many uncertainties face a passenger desiring to make a flightfrom her local airport. Highway traffic may cause the passenger beinglate for her flight. Long lines at the check-in counter, baggagedrop-off, or security checkpoint often result in a passenger missing herflight. If a passenger misses her flight, it can have repercussions onher entire travel schedule, as connections are missed and peopleplanning to pick her up at her destination are left waiting. Manyfactors contribute to a passengers missing her flight and theconsequences of missed flights in terms of lost time, lost money, lostrevenue for the airline, decreased customer satisfaction, and increasedstress can be severe. To assist passengers, some airlines and otherproviders provide electronic notifications to a passenger's wirelessdevice when flights are changed are delayed. This does not, however,allow for a passenger's itinerary to be changed.

Because so many factors can result in a passenger missing her flight,many passengers leave for the airport (or other travel hub) early sothat she has additional time to accommodate delays. In circumstanceswhere these delays do not happen, the passenger often arrives at hergate early. In many cases, the passenger often does not realize thatseats on other flights may be available to her destination andaccordingly does not seek out those flights and instead simply checksinto her original flight. Many airlines are willing to accommodatepassengers who desire to fly on an earlier flight, but the passengertypically needs to make a special request to do so. While a helpfulrepresentative may be able to suggest an earlier flight, this addsadditional work on an already overburdened ground crew. This problem isexacerbated on busy travel days or at heavily-used airports. As thissolution requires customer service representative time and is onlysomewhat effective, as many passengers do not even realize that such anoption exists, this is an unsatisfactory solution. Because mostpassengers do not change their booking to an earlier available flight,passengers often waste time in the airports, seats on the aircraft gounderutilized, and passengers become subject to any delays on laterflights.

A passenger who misses her flight must contact a customer servicerepresentative of the airline in order to book a new flight. Thisprocess can be very time consuming and frustrating, as customer servicerepresentatives are typically overburdened and may be inconvenientlylocated. Also, in some cases, customer service representatives mayautomatically rebook a passenger on a later flight without notifying thepassenger or others waiting to pick up the passenger.

There is, therefore, a need for an efficient and effective mechanism formanaging the travel itinerary of a user, particularly for passengerswith scheduled service on a common carrier such as an airline. There isan even greater need for such a mechanism when a passenger is likely tobe late or substantially earlier for her travel.

SUMMARY

The problems identified above are in large part addressed by systems,methods and media for managing a travel itinerary of a user. Oneembodiment generally includes receiving by a travel itinerary computeruser location information from the user on the wireless device, wherethe user location provides an indication of the user's location, andestimating by the travel itinerary computer the arrival time of the userat the departure point for a scheduled first trip of the user, where theestimation is based on the user location information. The method alsogenerally includes comparing by the travel itinerary computer theestimated arrival time of the user at the destination with a departuretime for the scheduled first trip and, if the arrival time issubstantially earlier than the departure time or equal to or later thanthe departure time, rescheduling by the travel itinerary computer theuser for a different second trip. A further embodiment provides forreceiving supplementary information by the travel itinerary computerbasing the estimation of the user's arrival time on the user's locationand the supplementary information. An additional embodiment provides forrescheduling services by the travel itinerary computer based on thesecond trip.

Another embodiment provides a machine-accessible medium containinginstructions effective, when executing in a data processing system, tocause the system to perform a series of operations for managing a travelitinerary of a user. The series of operations generally includesreceiving by a travel itinerary computer user location information fromthe user on the wireless device, where the user location provides anindication of the user's location, and estimating by the travelitinerary computer the arrival time of the user at the departure pointfor a scheduled first trip of the user, where the estimation is based onthe user location information. The series of operations also generallyincludes comparing by the travel itinerary computer the estimatedarrival time of the user at the destination with a departure time forthe scheduled first trip and, if the arrival time is substantiallyearlier than the departure time or equal to or later than the departuretime, rescheduling by the travel itinerary computer the user for adifferent second trip.

A further embodiment provides a system for managing a travel itineraryfor a user on a wireless device connected to a wireless network. Theitinerary management system may generally include a user interactionmodule for receiving user location information from the user and atravel time determiner for estimating the time for the user to travel toa departure point associated with a scheduled trip based on the userlocation information. The system may also generally include an itinerarymanager for determining whether a user's itinerary should be changedbased on the estimated time for the user to travel to the departurepoint and for changing the user's itinerary by rescheduling a new tripto replace the user's scheduled trip. The system may also include, insome embodiments, a supplementary information interface for receiving orgenerating supplementary information and a services interface forrequesting changes in scheduled service based on changes in the user'sitinerary.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent uponreading the following detailed description and upon reference to theaccompanying drawings in which, like references may indicate similarelements:

FIG. 1 depicts an environment for a system for managing a travelitinerary of a user according to one embodiment;

FIG. 2 depicts a travel itinerary computer of the itinerary managementsystem of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a flow chart for managing a travelitinerary of a user when a user is early for her trip according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a flow chart for managing a travelitinerary of a user when a user is late for her trip according to oneembodiment; and

FIG. 5 depicts an example of a flow chart for managing a travelitinerary of a user when a user is late for her trip according to analternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The following is a detailed description of example embodiments of theinvention depicted in the accompanying drawings. The example embodimentsare in such detail as to clearly communicate the invention. However, theamount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipatedvariations of embodiments; but, on the contrary, the intention is tocover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appendedclaims. The detailed descriptions below are designed to make suchembodiments obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Systems, methods and media for managing a travel itinerary of a user aredisclosed. More particularly, hardware and/or software for managing theuser's travel itinerary based on the location of the user are disclosed.Embodiments may include receiving user location information andestimating the arrival time of the user at the departure point for ascheduled first trip of the user based on the user location information.Embodiments may also include comparing the estimated arrival time of theuser at the destination with a departure time for the scheduled firsttrip and rescheduling the user for a different second trip based on thecomparison of the user's estimated arrival time and the departure timefor the scheduled trip. Further embodiments may include transmittingnotification to the user that he has been rescheduled to a second trip.

The disclosed embodiments provide a methodology and system whereby theitinerary of a user may be changed based on the user's location. Bychanging the itinerary of a user based on the user's current locationand an estimate of how long it will take him to reach the starting pointfor his trip (such as to an airline gate), an efficient and effectivemethod of accommodating early or late users is provided. For a user whois early for her flight, she may be automatically moved (or queried tosee if she desires to move) to an earlier flight, resulting in thepossibility of reducing her travel time to her ultimate destination andmore efficiently filling a particular flight or other trip. For a userwho will be late for her flight, she may be automatically moved (orqueried to see if she desires to move) to a later flight that she canmake in time, eliminating the need for those users to have to contactcustomer service representatives and wait in line again. For either ofthese changes, scheduled services such as rental cars or hotels may alsobe rescheduled, again eliminating the need for a user to do these tasksthemselves. A user's location may be determined by a locationdetermining system in some embodiments.

While specific embodiments will be described below with reference toparticular configurations of hardware and/or software, those of skill inthe art will realize that embodiments of the present invention mayadvantageously be implemented with other substantially equivalenthardware and/or software systems.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts an environment for a systemfor managing a travel itinerary of a user according to one embodiment.In the depicted embodiment, itinerary management system 100 includes oneor more wireless devices 102 in communication with a wireless network108. Each wireless device 102 may include a user interface 104 to allowinformation to be displayed to a user of the wireless device 102 and toreceive input from the user, as well as a location determining device106 to assist in determining the location of the wireless device 102(and thus the user) at a given time. Wireless network 108 may be incommunication with the travel itinerary computer 112 either directly orvia another network such as network 110. The travel itinerary computer112 provides, in the depicted embodiment, a mechanism for receivinginformation from a user on a wireless device 102, including anindication of the user's on a wireless device's location, anddetermining whether the user's itinerary should be changed based on theestimated time it will take the user to reach the beginning point of hertravel. The travel itinerary computer 112 of the depicted embodimentincludes an itinerary manager 114, a travel time determiner 116, asupplementary information interface 118, and a services interface 120.The itinerary manager 114 may determine whether the itinerary of theuser should be changed based on information received from the traveltime determiner 116, which may estimate the amount of time the user willneed to reach the location necessary to make her flight or other travel.The travel time determiner 116 may also receive information from thesupplementary information interface 118 to assist in estimating traveltimes. The services interface 120 may be used to facilitate reschedulingor arranging services for the user if the user's itinerary is changed.

The travel itinerary computer 112 may be in communication with asupplementary information computer 124 and a services computer 126 via anetwork 122 in one embodiment. The supplementary information computer124 may provide information that may be used by the travel timedeterminer 116 to estimate travel times, such as information relating totraffic, airport conditions, weather conditions, and security lines. Theservices computer 126 may be any computer system that facilitatesproviding services to a user, such as rental cars, shuttle buses, orhotel reservations. If the travel itinerary computer 112 decides tochange the user's itinerary, the travel itinerary computer 112 mightalso determine that other services also need to be changed and wouldtherefore utilize the services computer 126. Optional database 130 maybe in communication with the travel itinerary computer 112 for storageof user preferences, itinerary information, supplementary information,or the like.

In itinerary management system 100, any of the travel itinerary computer112, supplementary information computer 124, services computer 126, ordatabase 130 may be located at the same location, such as in the samebuilding or computer lab, or could be remote. While the term “remote” isused with reference to the distance between the components of itinerarymanagement system 100, the term is used in the sense of indicatingseparation of some sort, rather than in the sense of indicating a largephysical distance between the systems. For example, any of thecomponents of itinerary management system 100 may be physically adjacentor located as part of the same computer system in some networkarrangements.

Wireless device 102 may include any device adapted to allow a user tocommunicate with a wireless network 108, including portable and mobiledevices. Examples include mobile phones, cellular phones,wireless-enabled personal digital assistants (PDAs), notebook computers,tablet personal computers, portable computer systems, wireless-enabledpagers, automotive-based wireless devices, a Bluetooth-enabled devicesor any wireless-enabled device. In the depicted embodiment, the wirelessdevice 102 includes a user display 104 and a location determining device106. The user interface 104 may include a, display screen for displayinginformation to the user. Any apparatus for conveying information to theuser, such as a printer or speaker, may alternatively be used. The userinterface 104 may also include a user input device, such as anyapparatus which accepts input from a user, such as buttons, dials, keys,keypad, levers, a voice recognition device, or a device for acceptingoptical input.

The location determining device 106 may include hardware and/or softwareadapted to determine its present location and thus serves the presentlocation of the wireless device 102 and the user. The locationdetermining device 106 may be a conventional global positioning system(“GPS”) receiver integrated into the wireless device 102. Alternatively,location determining device 106 may be an add-on or aftermarket GPSreceiver adapted to be connected to wireless device 102. In analternative embodiment, other wireless location determiningmethodologies may be used for the location determining device 106, suchas utilization of an Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS)receiver, or inertial measurement units. In another alternativeembodiment, the wireless device 102 need not have a location determiningdevice 106 at all and the user's location may instead be determined viaother means, such as other parameters of the wireless signal, such assignal strength, angle-of-arrival (AOA), time-of-arrival (TOA), UplinkTime Difference of Arrival (U-TDOA), Cell Identification (CID), EnhancedCID (E-CID), multipath profile or other characteristics. Any appropriatetype of location determining methodology may be used, includingcombinations of the above methodologies.

Wireless network 108 may be any type of wireless network, such as acellular network or Bluetooth-based network. Network 110 may be any typeof data communications channel, such as the Internet, an intranet, aLAN, a WAN, an Ethernet network, or a wireless network. In oneembodiment, the wireless device 102 may communicate with a base stationas part of the wireless network 108, which in turn may be incommunication with a mobile switching center, gateway mobile switchingcenter (GMSC), or other elements of a wireless or cellular network 110.In another embodiment, wireless network 108 may communicate with atelephone network 110 (or other wireless or cellular networks) via aGMSC. The wireless network 108, in one embodiment, communicates with theInternet or other network 1 10 using the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP)via a WAP gateway, which translates between the protocols of the WorldWide Web (WWW) and the WAP protocols of some wireless devices 102. Thoseskilled in the art will recognize, however, that types of datacommunication channels between the wireless device 102 and the travelitinerary computer 112 may be used without departure from the scope andspirit of the invention.

Travel itinerary computer 112 provides for management of a user'sitinerary based on a number of factors, including the location of theuser on the wireless device 102. The travel itinerary computer 112 maybe one or more of any type of computer system, including servers,personal computers, workstations, mainframe computers, notebook orlaptop computer, desktop computers, or the like. In one embodiment, thetravel itinerary computer 112 is an IBM® eServer or similar serverhaving one or more processors, or threads of processors, executingsoftware and/or one or more state machines coupled with data storagedevices such as random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM),flash memory, compact disk drives, hard drives, and the like. The travelitinerary computer 112 may be in communication with (or include) adatabase 130 for storage of user information or itinerary information.

The itinerary manager 114 of the travel itinerary computer 112 maydetermine whether the itinerary of the user should be changed. Theitinerary manager 114 may use a variety of types of information to makeits determination, such as an estimated time for the user to reach thebeginning point for her journey as provided by the travel timedeterminer 116. Other types of information the itinerary manager 114 mayuse includes scheduled departure times for the user's scheduled trip,scheduled departure times for alternative trips, scheduled departure andarrival times for connecting trips, user specified preferences, weatherconditions, the existence of other reservations for services, airtraffic conditions, passenger loads on particular flights, or the like.If a user's estimated time of arrival at the location she needs to befor her scheduled trip is equal to or later than the latest time theuser is permitted to arrive. (such as when a plane is pulling away fromthe gate or when the gate closes) or other deadline, the itinerarymanager 114 may then change the user's itinerary to another trip at alater time. In making the change to another flight, the itinerarymanager 114 may take into consideration how long it would take the userto travel to the right spot for that flight (such as a gate in adifferent terminal) so that the new itinerary is acceptable to the user.Similarly, if a user's estimated time of arrival at the location sheneeds to be for her scheduled trip is substantially earlier than thedeparture time, the itinerary manager 114 may then change her itineraryto the earlier trip. The itinerary manager 114 may consider the time itmay take to get to the correct location for the new trip as well. Anestimated time of arrival may be considered substantially earlier if itis sufficiently early enough so that the user's estimated time ofarrival at the correct location of the new, second trip allows the userto make that trip. For example, if a user is estimated to be two hoursearly for their scheduled trip, the user would be substantially earlyfor a second trip that leaves from the same location one hour earlier.In another example, if a user is estimated to be 30 minutes early for atrip and a second trip scheduled for 15 minutes earlier from anotherlocation is available, the user would only be substantially early if theestimated travel time to the second trip departure location was lessthan 15 minutes (and she was thus sufficiently early to make the secondtrip).

The travel time determiner 116 may estimate the amount of time the userwill need to reach the location necessary to make her trip, flight orother travel arrangement, including scheduled trips for the user as wellas possible second trips for the user. The travel time determiner 116may also receive information from the supplementary informationinterface 118 to assist in estimating travel times. The travel timedeterminer 116 may use a wide variety of factors in order to estimatethe travel time of the user. One typical factor would be the distancenecessary to travel and a time associated with that distance. Forinstance, if a user had to walk 800 yards in an airport terminal, thetravel time determiner 116 may estimate that it will take the user 10minutes to traverse that distance. This may be based on historical datafor all users, for the particular user, for that airport, for thatparticular segment (for example, it takes 10 minutes to get from Gate A1to B2), or any means of estimating time. In another example, theestimated time may be based on the user's current rate of travel; a usertraveling at 50 miles per hour can reasonably be expected to travel 25miles in half of that time. Rate of travel, in one embodiment, may beextrapolated from location data over time. Another factor the traveltime determiner 116 may use includes any known delays in the user'sexpected path. Known delays may include traffic backups, security linedelays, check-in times at the airport, luggage check-in, airporttransporter delays, and the like. Current information about known delaysmay be received from a supplementary information computer 124 or delaysmay be based on historical trends.

The supplementary information interface 118 may facilitate communicationbetween a supplementary information computer 124 and the travelitinerary computer 112 so that the travel time determiner 116 receivesrelevant supplementary information. Similarly, the services interface120 may assist rescheduling or arranging services for the user if theuser's itinerary is changed by facilitating communication between aservices computer 126 and the travel itinerary computer 112. In oneembodiment, travel itinerary computer 112 may connect to a supplementaryinformation computer 124 and/or a services computer via a network 122.Network 122 may be any type of data communications channel, such as theInternet, an intranet, a LAN, a WAN, an Ethernet network, or a wirelessnetwork. In one embodiment, network 122 is a separate network thannetwork 110 or wireless network 108, but in other embodiments, network122 and network 110, for example, may be equivalent.

The supplementary information computer 124, in one embodiment, providesinformation that may be used by the travel time determiner 116 toestimate travel times, such as information relating to traffic, airportconditions, weather conditions, security lines, or the like. Theinformation supplied by the supplementary information computer 124 maybe located local to the supplementary information computer 124 or it maybe retrieved from other sources, such as traffic information sites,weather information sites, or similar sources. The supplementaryinformation computer 124 may provide real-time data about currentconditions (whether supplied locally or remotely), data based onhistorical data, or a combination of the two. In an alternativeembodiment, some or all of the functions of the supplementaryinformation computer 124 may be provided by the travel itinerarycomputer 112, potentially making the supplementary information computer124 unnecessary.

The services computer 126, in one embodiment, facilitates providingservices to a user, such as rental cars, shuttle buses, or hotelreservations. Other potential services include restaurant reservations,limousine service, tickets for a train or other transportation,entertainment tickets (such as shows or plays), or any other type ofservice. In one embodiment, the services computer 126 may reschedule anyof these services to accommodate a change in the user's itinerary. Forexample, if a user was delayed to a flight that arrives three hourslater, the services computer 126 may then reschedule or cancel dinnerreservations, eliminating the need for the user to do so. In anotherexample, if a user was rescheduled for an earlier flight, the servicescomputer 126 may arrange for an earlier pick-up by a shuttle service.The services computer 126 may make its own determination of whether tochange services after receiving notification of an itinerary change fromthe travel itinerary computer 112 or it may receive instructions from atravel itinerary computer 112 to modify services (and possiblyinstructions on how to modify them). In an alternative embodiment, someor all of the functions of the services computer 126 may be provided bythe travel itinerary computer 112, potentially making the servicescomputer 126 unnecessary.

The disclosed embodiments of the itinerary management system 100 providean efficient and effective way of managing the travel itinerary of auser. If a user will be likely be late for a scheduled trip, based onthe user's location and the estimated time it will take them to reachher gate or other travel start point, the itinerary management system100 may automatically reschedule her trip to a later one. This helpsalleviate a burden and stress on the user, in addition to saving theuser time and hassle. If a user is early for her scheduled trip and willlikely be able to catch an earlier trip, the itinerary management system100 may automatically reschedule her trip to the earlier one, allowingthe user to spend less time traveling with little effort on her part. Inboth of these scenarios, the itinerary management system 100 may bemodified in light of the changed itinerary, providing additionalconvenience and benefit to the user.

FIG. 2 depicts a travel itinerary computer 112 of the itinerarymanagement system 100 of FIG. 1 according to one embodiment. In thedepicted embodiment, the travel itinerary computer 112 includes a userinteraction module 202, an administration module 204, an itinerarymanager 114, a travel time determiner 116, a supplementary informationinterface 118, and a services interface 120. The itinerary manager 114,travel time determiner 116, supplementary information interface 118, andservices interface 120 are described in relation to FIG. 1.

The user interaction module 202 provides for interaction with the useron the wireless device 102 in one embodiment. The user interactionmodule 202 may receive communications from the wireless device 102, suchas user location information, user preferences, or user responses toinquiries by the travel information computer 112. The user interactionmodule 202 may also transmit information to the user on the wirelessdevice 102, such as notification of itinerary changes, notification ofservice changes, or queries regarding proposed itinerary or servicechanges. In a further embodiment, the user interaction module 202 mayalso communicate with third parties in addition to the user, such asthird parties designated by the user (for example, a person's assistant,coworker, or spouse). This might be particularly useful if, for example,someone was picking up the user from the airport and the userinteraction module 202 could then transmit notifications of anyitinerary changes to that third party.

The third party may optionally acknowledge any itinerary changes, afterwhich the acknowledgement may be then forwarded to the user so that theuser knows that the third party received the message. In an alternativeembodiment, user interaction module 202 may access the user's calendar(on wireless device 102 or in another location) to determine who elsemight be interested in any changes to the user's itinerary. If a user'sspouse, for example, was picking them up from the airport and thecalendar entry reflected this, the user interaction module 202 maytransmit a notification of the changed itinerary to the spouse as aperson on the calendar that might be impacted by the change. Anyappropriate type of interaction with users or other may be performed bythe user interaction module 202.

The administration module 204 may be in communication with any of theother modules of the travel itinerary computer 112. The administrationmodule 204 may perform any administrative tasks, such as handling userpreferences, adding or deleting services computers 126 or supplementaryinformation computers 124, modifying the factors or weight given tofactors in the travel time determiner 116, modifying settings in theitinerary manager 114, or adding or deleting users. Any appropriate typeof task may be handled by the administrative module 204 and access mayoptionally be limited to administrators with sufficient permissions.

FIG. 3 depicts an example of a flow chart for managing a travelitinerary of a user when a user is early for her trip according to oneembodiment. The elements of method of flow chart 300 may be performed bythe travel itinerary computer 112 or by other systems, such as systemsmanaged by a common carrier (airline, bus line, train line, and thelike) or other travel entity (such as a travel agency). At element 302,the travel itinerary computer 112 or other system checks-in the user fora trip. Being ‘checked-in’ to a trip implies that the user has areservation on that trip. The user may receive an assigned seat orlocation as part of her check-in. In an alternative embodiment, element302 is unnecessary and the travel itinerary computer 112 need onlyreceive an indication of the user's current reservation or tripinformation.

After the user has scheduled trip, the travel itinerary computer 112 mayreceive user location information from the user on a wireless device 102in element 304. A location determining device 106 may determine theuser's location for ultimate transmittal by the wireless device 102 asdescribed in relation to FIG. 1. In an alternative embodiment, theuser's location may be determined by the wireless network 108 (byutilizing, for example, signal strength, AOA, TOA, U-TDOA, CID, E-CID,or multipath profile techniques) and forwarded to the travel itinerarycomputer 108. At optional element 306, the travel itinerary computer 112may receive supplementary information from a supplementary informationcomputer 124. Alternatively, the travel itinerary computer 112 maygenerate supplementary information itself. As described in relation toFIG. 1, supplementary information may include real-time or historicalconditions relating to traffic, airport conditions, weather conditions,security lines, etc.

At element 308, the travel time determiner 116 of the travel itinerarycomputer 112 may estimate the user's time of arrival at her destination.The destination of the user for which the estimation is based istypically where the user must be to start her trip, such as an airlinegate at an airport or a particular track at a train station. The traveltime determiner 116 may estimate the user's time of arrival may beestimated based on a number of factors, including the user's locationand any supplementary information received. The factors may also includefactors inside the travel destination (e.g., airport) or outside thetravel destination (e.g., highway traffic). For example, a user who is20 miles from the airport might have an estimate of 30 minutes for thedrive based on current conditions, 10 minutes for parking, 10 minutesfor check-in, 15 minutes for security based on current conditions, and20 minutes to get to her gate for a total estimate of an hour and 25minutes to get from her current location to her gate.

At decision block 310, the travel itinerary computer 112 determineswhether the user will be substantially early for her trip based on theestimated travel time calculated in element 308. If the user will not besubstantially early, the method continues to decision block 318. If thetravel itinerary computer 112 determines that the user will not besubstantially early for their scheduled trip, the travel itinerarycomputer 112 then determines whether to terminate the process atdecision block 318. If the travel itinerary computer 112 determines thatthe user will likely be substantially early at decision block 310, thetravel itinerary computer 112 will then determine whether the user willbe able to make an earlier trip at decision block 312. In order todetermine whether the user has enough time to make an earlier trip, thetravel itinerary computer 112 may consider the departure time of thattrip and an estimate of how long the user would need to travel to theplace to start that trip. If a user is, for example, one hour early forher scheduled trip, a trip 30 minutes earlier than that one can be takenif the user would only need a few minutes to get to the gate or otherstart point for that trip. If it would take 25 minutes to get to thatgate, it would be difficult for the user to make the switch. The travelitinerary computer 112 may utilize any appropriate methodology similarto that of element 308 to estimate the time to arrive at the destinationassociated with the beginning of the proposed new trip. If the travelitinerary computer 112 determines that the user cannot make the earliertrip at decision block 312, the travel itinerary computer 112 thendetermines whether to terminate the process at decision block 318. Ifthe user can make the earlier trip, the travel itinerary computer 112continues to element 314.

In element 314, the travel itinerary computer 112 reschedules the useron the earlier trip chosen at decision block 312. In one embodiment, thetravel itinerary computer 112 changes the user's itinerary directly bybooking the user on the new trip and taking them off of the old trip. Inanother embodiment, the travel itinerary computer 112 may send a requestto another system, such as an airline system or services computer 126,to reschedule the user's trip. Any appropriate methodology forrescheduling the user may be used. At element 316, the travel itinerarycomputer 112 may notify the user that her itinerary has changed so thatshe may redirect her travel, if necessary. Instructions to the user onwhere to go may also be included. In a further embodiment, the travelitinerary computer 112 may also notify third parties, such as contactsdesignated by the user, in addition to the user.

At decision block 318, the travel itinerary computer 112 determineswhether the process should be terminated. The travel itinerary computer112 may consider any type of factor or criteria, such as the user'slocation, time, or flight status, in its determination. In one example,the travel itinerary computer 112 may terminate the process when theuser boards an aircraft for her flight. In another example, travelitinerary computer 112 may terminate the process after a user has beenrescheduled once (or other predetermined amount of times). In yetanother example, the travel itinerary computer 112 may terminate theprocess when the departure time for the user's trip is within a definedamount of time (within 20 minutes of her flight). If the process is notterminated, the travel itinerary computer 112 continues to element 304for continued monitoring of the user's location and status.

FIG. 4 depicts an example of a flow chart for managing a travelitinerary of a user when a user is late for her trip according to oneembodiment. The method of flow chart 400 may be performed by the travelitinerary computer 112 or other computer system. Flow chart 400 beginswith elements 402, 404, 406, and 408, which are substantially similar tothe similarly numbered elements of the method of flow chart 300. Atdecision block 410, the travel itinerary computer 112 may determinewhether the user will be late for her trip based on the estimated traveltime calculated at element 408. If the travel itinerary computer 112determines that the user will not be late based on the estimate, thetravel itinerary computer 112 continues to decision block 420. If thetravel itinerary computer 112 determines that the user will likely belate, the travel itinerary computer 112 continues to optional element412, querying the user to determine if the user is interested inrescheduling her trip. In this element, travel itinerary computer 112may send a message to the user on her wireless device 102 informing herthat she will be late and asking if she would like to reschedule. Herresponse may then be transmitted back by the wireless device 102 to thetravel itinerary computer 112. This optional element may also be usefulin other embodiments, such as that of flow chart 300 of FIG. 3, wherethe user may be queried before changing her trip to an earlier one.

Upon receiving the user's response, the travel itinerary computer 112determines whether the user wants to reschedule at decision block 414.If the user does not want to reschedule, the travel itinerary computer112 continues to decision block 420 where it determines whether toterminate the process. If the user does want to reschedule, the travelitinerary computer 112 continues to element 416, rescheduling the useron a later trip. At element 416, the travel itinerary computer 112 maychange the user's itinerary directly by booking her on the new trip andtaking her off of the old trip. In another embodiment, the travelitinerary computer 112 may send a request to another system, such as anairline system or services computer 126, to reschedule the user's trip.Any methodology for rescheduling the user may be used. At element 418,the travel itinerary computer 112 may notify the user (and any thirdparties) that her itinerary has changed so that she may redirect hertravel, if necessary.

At decision block 420, the travel itinerary computer 112 determineswhether the process should be terminated. The decision may be based onany type of factor or criteria, such as the user's location, time,flight status, or the like. Decision block 420 may be substantiallysimilar to that of decision block 318 of FIG. 3. If the process is notterminated in decision block 420, the travel itinerary computer 112continues to element 404 for continued monitoring of the user locationand status.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of a flow chart for managing a travelitinerary of a user when a user is late for her trip according to analternative embodiment. The method of flow chart 500 may be performed,in one embodiment, by the travel itinerary computer 112. Flow chart 500begins with elements 502, 504, 506, and 508, which are substantiallysimilar to the similarly numbered elements of the method of flow chart300.

At decision block 510, the travel itinerary computer 112 may determinewhether the user will be late for her trip based on the estimated traveltime calculated in element 508. If the user will not be late based onthe estimate, the travel itinerary computer 112 continues to decisionblock 520. If the user will likely be late, the method of flow chart 500continues to optional element 512, rescheduling the user on a latertrip. At element 512, the travel itinerary computer 112 may reschedulethe user by changing the user's itinerary directly by booking her on thenew trip and taking her off of the old trip. Alternatively, the travelitinerary computer 112 may send a request to another system, such as anairline system or services computer 126, to reschedule the user's trip.Any appropriate methodology for rescheduling the user may be used. Thetravel itinerary computer 112 may then transmit notification of the newtrip to the user on a wireless device 102 (and any third parties) atelement 514 so that she may redirect her travel, if necessary.

After a new trip has been scheduled, the travel itinerary computer 112determines whether the user has scheduled services that need to bechanged or needs news services because of the new itinerary at decisionblock 516. The travel itinerary computer 112 may base the determinationon the results of querying the user regarding services or other factors,such as how much the itinerary has changed, whether an overnight stay isnecessary, or the like. If, for example, a user will miss the lastflight of the day and will be rescheduled for the first flight the nextmorning, the travel itinerary computer 112 may determine that the userneeds hotel arrangements near the airport. If the travel itinerarycomputer 112 determines that the user does not need services or does notneed to change services, the travel itinerary computer 112 continues todecision block 520. If the travel itinerary computer 112 determines thatservices should be modified, the travel itinerary computer 112 continuesto element 518, reserving or rescheduling services for the user. At thiselement, the travel itinerary computer 112, one or more servicescomputers 126, or any other computer systems may reserve (or modifyexisting reservations) based on the user's new itinerary. For example, aservices computer 126 maintained by a hotel provider may reserve a roomfor the user based on instructions from the travel itinerary computer112. Modification of services, as described in relation to elements 516and 518, may also be suitable for other embodiments, such as thosedescribed in relation to FIGS. 3 and 4.

At decision block 520, the travel itinerary server 112 determineswhether the process should be terminated. The travel itinerary server112 may base its determination on any type of factor or criteria, suchas the user's location, time, flight status, or the like. Decision block520 may be substantially similar to that of decision block 318 of FIG.3. If the process is not terminated in decision block 520, the travelitinerary server 112 may continue to element 504 for continuedmonitoring of the user's location and status.

In general, the routines executed to implement the embodiments of theinvention, may be part of an operating system or a specific application,component, program, module, object, or sequence of instructions. Thecomputer program of the present invention typically is comprised of amultitude of instructions that will be translated by the native computerinto a machine-readable format and hence executable instructions. Also,programs are comprised of variables and data structures that eitherreside locally to the program or are found in memory or on storagedevices. In addition, various programs described hereinafter may beidentified based upon the application for which they are implemented ina specific embodiment of the invention. However, it should beappreciated that any particular program nomenclature that follows isused merely for convenience, and thus the invention should not belimited to use solely in any specific application identified and/orimplied by such nomenclature.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit ofthis disclosure that the present invention contemplates methods,systems, and media for managing the travel itinerary of a user. It isunderstood that the form of the invention shown and described in thedetailed description and the drawings are to be taken merely asexamples. It is intended that the following claims be interpretedbroadly to embrace all the variations of the example embodimentsdisclosed.

1. A method for managing a travel itinerary for a user on a wirelessdevice connected to a wireless network, the method comprising: receivingby a travel itinerary computer user location information from the useron the wireless device, the user location information providing anindication of the location of the user; estimating by the travelitinerary computer the arrival time of the user at a destination basedon the user location information, wherein the destination is related toa departure point for a scheduled trip of the user; comparing by thetravel itinerary computer the estimated arrival time of the user with adeparture time for the scheduled trip; and if the arrival time issubstantially earlier than the departure time or equal to or later thanthe departure time, rescheduling by the travel itinerary computer theuser for a different second trip.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising querying the user by the travel itinerary computer todetermine whether the user desires to have the scheduled triprescheduled to the second trip.
 3. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving by the travel itinerary computer supplementaryinformation from a supplementary information computer; and wherein theestimating step comprises estimating by the travel itinerary computerthe arrival time of the user at a destination based on the user locationinformation and the supplementary information.
 4. The method of claim 1,further comprising: generating by the travel itinerary serversupplementary information; and wherein the estimating step comprisesestimating by the travel itinerary computer the arrival time of the userat a destination based on the user location information and thesupplementary information.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprisingtransmitting by the travel itinerary computer notification that the userhas been rescheduled to a second trip to at least one of the user on thewireless device or a third party.
 6. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising rescheduling services by the travel itinerary computer basedon the second trip.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprisingrescheduling services by a services computer based on the second trip.8. The method of claim 1, further comprising checking-in user for atleast one of the user's first trip or the user's second trip.
 9. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the comparing step comprises comparing theestimated arrival time at the destination with the departure time forthe scheduled trip to determine if the user will be ahead of schedule,behind schedule, or on schedule for the scheduled trip.
 10. Amachine-accessible medium containing instructions effective, whenexecuting in a data processing system, to cause said data processingsystem to perform operations comprising: receiving by a travel itinerarycomputer user location information from the user on the wireless device,the user location information providing an indication of the location ofthe user; estimating by the travel itinerary computer the arrival timeof the user at a destination based on the user location information,wherein the destination is related to a departure point for a scheduledtrip of the user; comparing by the travel itinerary computer theestimated arrival time of the user with a departure time for thescheduled trip; and if the arrival time is substantially earlier thanthe departure time or equal to or later than the departure time,rescheduling by the travel itinerary computer the user for a differentsecond trip.
 11. The machine-accessible medium of claim 10, furthercomprising querying the user by the travel itinerary computer todetermine whether the user desires to have the scheduled triprescheduled to the second trip.
 12. The machine-accessible medium ofclaim 10, further comprising transmitting by the travel itinerarycomputer notification that the user has been rescheduled to a secondtrip to at least one of the user on the wireless device or a thirdparty.
 13. A data processing system for managing a travel itinerary fora user on a wireless device connected to a wireless network, the systemcomprising: a user interaction module, the user interaction module beingadapted to receive user location information from the user, wherein theuser has a scheduled trip as part of an itinerary; a travel timedeterminer, the travel time determiner being adapted to estimate thetime for the user to travel to a departure point associated with thescheduled trip based on the user location information; and an itinerarymanager, the itinerary manager being adapted to determine whether theuser's itinerary should be changed based on the estimated time for theuser to travel to the departure point, the itinerary manager beingfurther adapted to change the user's itinerary by scheduling a secondtrip to replace the user's scheduled trip.
 14. The system of claim 13,further comprising a supplementary information interface, thesupplementary information interface being adapted to receivesupplementary information from the supplementary information computer.15. The system of claim 13, further comprising a supplementaryinformation interface, the supplementary information interface beingadapted to generate supplementary information.
 16. The system of claim13, further comprising a services interface, the services interfacebeing adapted to request changes in scheduled service from a servicescomputer based on the changes in the user's itinerary.
 17. The system ofclaim 13, wherein the user interaction module is further adapted totransmit a notification of the new trip to at least one of the user on awireless device or a third party associated with the user.
 18. Thesystem of claim 13, wherein the travel time determine estimates the timefor the user to travel from the current location to a departure pointassociated with the scheduled trip based on supplementary informationreceived from a supplementary information computer.
 19. The system ofclaim 13, wherein the user's scheduled trip has an earlier departuretime than the new trip.
 20. The system of claim 13, wherein the user'sscheduled trip has a later departure time than the new trip.